1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to print setting processing in an information processing apparatus including a printer driver.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there are several methods with respect to handling of print setting values when a user gives an instruction for changing the output destination printer in an environment in which a plurality of printer drivers are installed on a client computer. “Instruction for changing a printer” used herein specifically corresponds to the case in which occurrence of print queue switching has been detected. Here, when a printer driver is installed, a print queue is registered in the installation target apparatus by an operating system (OS) in order to output print jobs to a printer corresponding to the printer driver.
When a print queue is switched on a client computer on which a plurality of printer drivers are installed, the operation performed with respect to print setting values differs depending on the OS. There are several methods for such an operation.
A first method is based on the idea that the printer drivers or print queues are mutually independent. In this case, if the user switched the output destination print queue when he/she makes a print request, the print setting values of the print queue before switching and those after switching are mutually independent. Therefore, the print setting values of the print queue before switching are not carried over. In connection with this method, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-126940 proposes a method in which print setting values are carried over at the time of print queue switching. According to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-126940, when a print queue is switched, the settings of the print queue to be switched from are searched for data that is usable in the print queue to be switched to. With this method, when data that will be effective in a print queue to be switched to is retrieved, setting information set in the print queue to be switched from is delivered to the print queue to be switched to.
The second method assumes a system environment different from that of the first method, in which the OS itself holds print setting values across a plurality of print queues. In this environment, every time the user switches a print queue, the OS intervenes to cause print setting values to be carried over between the print queues before and after switching.
The present invention relates to the second method, namely, a method in which the OS holds print setting values across printer drivers. The user may receive the advantage of this method when the user finds that an output destination print queue is not the one he/she desires after performing print setting in the print queue, and thus switches the print queue. In the case where set values are not carried over based on the idea that the print queues are mutually independent as in the first method, in the situation described above, the user needs to perform print settings again in the print queue switched to. In contrast, in the case where the OS holds the print setting values across print queues according to the second method, settings made in a certain print queue are carried over to the print queue switched to, which achieves the advantage that the user does not need to perform the print settings again.
However, with the second method, if default set values for the same setting item are different between print queues before and after switching, this scheme causes a problem. Here, default values set in each print queue denote values that are registered in correspondence to the print queue as an initial setting for the printer corresponding to the print queue, when output is performed with the printer. For example, with respect to two print queues each capable of being set to monochrome/color, the case is considered in which the default value of a print queue A is monochrome, and that of a print queue B is color. At this time, when the user switches from the print queue A to the print queue B, since the default value of the print queue B is color, naturally, the monochrome/color setting is expected to be color. However, the OS causes the print setting values to be carried over, and thus the monochrome/color setting of the print queue B will still be monochrome, due to the setting in the print queue A having been carried over.
Also, it is possible to save a combination of print settings that the user desires to apply to each printer under a certain name, and this saved combination is called a “preset”. When printing is requested, by selecting a preset after selecting an output destination printer, the user can easily invoke a combination of print setting values that has been saved in advance. Here, the above-described OS manages presets across a plurality of print queues. The preset is stored with common settings that can be set in all print queues, and model-specific settings that can be realized uniquely in each print queue. For example, the common settings correspond to “designation of copy number” representing the number of copies to be printed, and “layout” designating how many pages are arranged on the print face. Also, model-specific settings correspond to settings that can be set in the print queue corresponding to the printer of a model to which various options are attached, such as, for example, case printing, and designation of folding such as C-folding and Z-folding.
Such a preset is set because the user desires to print out under the print settings of the preset. However, there may be a case in which when a print queue is switched after setting a preset, set values of the set preset are invalidated. Layout setting is taken as an example. In the case where a preset including a layout setting of 4-Up (a setting for arranging four pages per print face) is created in the print queue A, it is assumed that the print queue A is applied to inexpensive printers that are mainly used for test printing. In contrast, the print queue B is intended to be applied to advanced printers that are mainly used for creating end products such as POD (Print on Demand). At this time, when the user initially sets the preset in the print queue A, the layout setting included in the common settings is set to 4-Up, as desired by the user. Here, after it is confirmed in the test printing that there is no problem, the print queue A is switched to the print queue B for final printing, but the layout setting, which is a common setting, will still be 4-Up. Therefore, 4-Up printing is performed in the final printing as well. In addition, for example, with respect to model-specific settings such as designation of the resolution, which are not covered by the common settings, the details of the model-specific settings are not carried over at the time of print queue switching. As a result, in the case where the initial value of the designation of the resolution in the print queue B is 600 DPI, if the print queue A whose resolution designation is 1200 DPI is switched to the print queue B, there is an issue that the resolution is set to 600 DPI.